Acetylene-gas apparatus.



(No Model.)

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AcETYLENE GAS APPARATUS. (Appudn'tion moa .my 12, 1900.)

Patented Oct. I6, |900.

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. Patented 0ct.ll6, |900. 4IIIcDIJNALD' ELLIOTT. ACETYLENE GASAPPARATUS.

(Application led July 12, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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ACETYLENE-GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,795, dated October16, 1900.

Application iiled July 12, 1900.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, McDoNALD ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Santa Rosa, county of Sonoma, State of California, haveinvented an Improvement in Acetylene- Gas Apparatus; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to an apparatus for the production of acetylene gas'from calcium carbid and its transmission to a point where it is to beused.

It consists in details of construction comprisin g a gasometer, anexterior casing therefor, a carbid-basket, valve-controlled Watersupply,and ash-receiver contained within the gasometer, means for regulatingthe'supply of water to the carbid-basket, and means for delivering thegas and conducting it to the point where it is to be used.

It also comprises details of construction, which will be more fullyexplained by referencev to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a vertical section of the appa` ratus. Fig. 2 is an outline View of alocomotive, showing the apparatus and connection between it and theheadlight. Fig. 3 is a section taken through c c of Fig. l.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for the productionof acetylene gas under such conditions that when the generator issubjected to violent shocks and oscillations the water contained thereinis prevented from splashing about under violent movements. Gas ismanufactured in only sufficient quantities to supply the single lightfor which it is designed. Means are provided for steadying the flow ofgas under the conditions above named and means for automaticallyregulating the supply of water to the carbid and disposing of any waterof condensation, so as to keep it away from the carbid.

The outer casing A hasa base B, to which it is bolted or riveted, andthis base is adapted to be fixed upon what is known as the running-boardO of an engine; but it may also be transferred to a point within the cabin case of cold weather or conditions which make such transferdesirable.

The apparatus is designed to be only of suf- Serial No. 23,346. (Nomodel.)

cient size to supply the headlight of a locomotive and is approximatelyabout eight inches in exterior diameter by two feet (more or less) inheight. This provides a sufiicient length, so that the gasometer-bell 2can rise and4 fall to accommodate the amount of gas received within itwithout any exterior or supplemental guides of any description.

Within the outer casing A is a tubular cylinder 3, the exterior diameterof which is sufciently smaller than the interior of the casing A toadmit the walls of the gasoineter 2 sliding between the cylinder 3 andthe casing A. At the bottom this cylinder is surrounded by a ring 4,which just fits within the casin g A, and both parts are bolted thereto,so that the ring forms a bottom to the space between the casing A andthe cylinder 3. Within the annular chamber thus formed a sufficientamount of water is placed to form a seal in which the open bottom of thegasometer dips, and within this water the gasoineter rises and falls. Itfits so snugly between these two walls and is of such a length inproportion to its diameter that it is properly guided in its rise andfall and prevented from tilting to one side or the other. The amount ofsurface of the water surrounding the bell and contained within thechannel is so small that the most violent oscillations and shaking willfail to splash it about oressentially move it in the chamber. Around thebottom of the cylinder 3 and interior to it are lugs, as at 5, whichserve to support the cylindrical chamber 6, which chamber fits closelyWithin the inner cylinder 3, and its lower part forms au ash-receiver.This chamber 6 has an inwardly-folded bead, as at 7, which serves toreceive and support the perforated or screen bottomed basket 8,containing the calcium carbid. An outwardlyturned bead or fold at 9serves to make a sufficiently-close iit between this part and the innersurface of the cylinder 3 to prevent the basket and ash-receiver frombeing shaken or moved about, while at the same time suficient space isallowed for the gas to lilter through from the carbid-chamber. Above thechamber 6 and the carbid-basket is a water-chamber l0, which fits withsufficient closeness Within the cylinder 3, and it has a downwardextension below the bottom with IOO an interior rim or flange 11, sothat this flange rests upon the top of the chamber 6, the annularextension below the ring surrounding the exterior of the chamber 6, andthus holding the chamber 10 steadily in position. Wa-

ter may be admitted to said chamber 10:

vbasket 8 to pass out between these two rings,

thence into the thin annular channel between the cylinder 3 and thewater-chamber 10, and also betweenA this cylinder and the chamber 6, sothat the gas as produced may pass upwardly through this annular channelinto the gasometer 2 and also pass downwardly around the chamber 6 andinto the chamber 13 in the bottom of the apparatus, and from which it isdrawn by means of a cock 14 in the upper part of this lower chamber. Bymeans of a flexible tube or hose 15 the gas is conveyed into the pipe16, which conducts it to the headlight-burner on the front ot theengine. The cock 14 has a small passage through it, the area of which ismuch less than that of the pipes 15 and 16, and the latter thus form asort of reservoir or regulator between the cock 14 and the burner,whichserves to prevent vibration and variation in the steadiness of thelight.

17 is a cock by which water of condensation may be drawn from time totime from the chamber 13, and a passage or opening 18 is made throughthe footboard or other point of support for its discharge.

19 is a cock connected with the pipe 16 or the elbow or joint, so thatany water of condensation within this pipe can also be Withdrawn. Inorder to supply water from time to time to moisten the calcium carbid,the chamber 10 is constructed with a central tube 20, havingperforations, as at 21, through which water may pass from the chamberinto the interior of the tube. Within this tube is a stem 22, andbeneath the concaved bottom of the chamber is a slight extension, whichforms'l a seat for a valve 23. This valve is normally closed by a spring24, surrounding the stem 22, and when opened it delivers into a centralspace 25, having radiallyperforated arms 26, through which the water iscarried outwardly and sprinkled over the carbid in the basket 8 below.The spring 24 normally closes the valve 23, and the upper end of thevalve-stem 22, projecting above the chamber 10, is slotted to receive alever 27, which is so fulcrumed that the outer free end is in the lineof' travel of the top of the gasometer-bell 2, so that when the lattersinks to a sufficient distance it will form contact with the end of thelever and depress it and the stem 22 suficiently to open the valve 23and allow water to flow from the chamber 10 and be discharged upon thecarbid. As soon as sufficient gas has been generated to again raise thegasometer it will move out vof contact with the lever 27, and the spring24 will close the valve.

28 is a slidable cap fitting over the outside of the casing A and havingsufficient length to allow of considerable movement upon the casingwithout disengaging. The upper part of this cap is made convex, asshown, corresponding with the top of the gasometer 2', so

that if the latter rises within the cap the cap, may yield and moveupwardly in unison withA the movements of the gasometer without beingdetached from its place.

The gasometer is here shown with the ring or other attachment, as at 29,so that when the cap has been removed the gasometer can be lifted outand all the other parts successively removed from the interior.

The whole device is thus made very compact and easy of access. The gasbeing generated by moistening of the carbid within the basket' willescape between the roughened rings 11 and 12 and, passing into thenarrower annular channel surrounding the basket and the, water-chamber,(the production of which is always attended with some heat,) will becooled by contact with the surrounding inner wall of the water-chamberin which the gasometer floats, and this causes condensation within thischannel, and this water of condensation will flow downwardly into thechamber 13 and can in no manner enter the carbid containing chamber. meto keep the carbid from any dampness except what occurs from thedischarge of' water upon it from time to time, and at intermediate timesthe carbid will become dried and will not generate gas except wheneverthe gas is being used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in an acetylene -gas generator, of an exteriorcasing, a cylinder interior to the same, an annular water-containingchamber interior to the cylinder and separated from the inner wallsthereof to form a gas-passage, means for admitting gas to said passage,an open-bottomed gasometersbell movably fitted in the space between theouter casing and said cylinder, and a gasgenerating mechanism withinsaid cylinder in line with the water-containing chamber.

2. The combination in an acetylene-gas' apparatus of an exterior casing,a cylinder of smaller diameter interior thereto having a ring interposedbetween the two around the bottom of the interior chamber and forming abottom to the annular channel thus produced whereby said channel .isadapted to contain a limited amount of water, an openbottomedgasometer-bell, fitting said chan- This enables ICO IIO

stones 3 nel and submerged in the water therein, the walls of thechannel serving as a guide for the rise and fall of the bell, awater-containing chamber within the cylinder and separated from thewalls thereof to form a gaspassage, a gas-generating mechanism, meansfor admitting gas to said passage', and a cap slidable upon the top ofthe casing and adapted to move in unison with the rising of the bellwithout disengagement from the casing.

3. The combination in an acetylene -gas generator of an exterior casing,an interior cylinder of smaller diameter having a closed bottom adaptedto contain water, an openbottomed gasometer-bell 'fitting and movable insaid annular chamber, a chamber movably fitted to the interior of theinner cylinder, lugs upon which it is supported, said chamber having anoutwardly-turned bead to guide it within the cylinder, aninwardly-turned bead to form a support for the carbid-basket, and meansfor supplying water to the carbid.

4. The combination in an acetylene-gas generator of the exterior casing,an interior cylinder of smaller diameter forming an annularwater-chamber between the two, a gasometer-bell guided and movableWithin said annular chamber, a beaded close-bottomed chamber fittingWithin the inner cylinder, a carbid-basket supported therein and aremovable water-chamber slidable within the interior cylinder, andhaving a rib or lugs by which it rests upon the top of thecarbidcontaining chamber.

5. The combination in an acetylene-gas apparatus of an exterior casing,an annular water-chamber interior thereto, a gasometerbell guided andadapted to rise and fall Within said annular space, a chamber interiorto the cylinder which forms the inner wall of the gasometer-well, thelower part of said chamber serving as an ash-receiver, a carbid-basketremovably supported Within said chamber, a water chamber and means forsupporting it upon the top of the carbidchamber, a spring-closed valveand a controlling-lever by which the valve is automatically opened whenthe gasometer sinks, and closed when it rises.

6. The combination in an acetylene-gas apparatus of an exterior casing,an annular Water-chamber, and a rising and falling gasoineter interiorthereto, a carbid-containing and ash chamber and a water-tank within thegasometer, a spring-closed valve controlling the flow of water, anddistributers through which the water is delivered upon the carbid below,a lever fulcrumed and connected with the valve-stem with its free end inthe line of movement of the gasometer whereby the sinking of the latterdepresses the lever and opens the Valve and the rising of the gasometerallows it to close.

7. The combination in an acetylene gas generator of an exterior casingwith an internal water seal and rising and falling gasometer, acarbid-containing and ash chamber removably located within the gasometerhaving a roughened rim at the top, a Water-chamber having extensions anda correspondinglyroughened interior rib resting upon the top of thecarbid-chamber, said roughened surfaces providing for the passage of thegas between them and into the annular space surrounding the carbid andWater chambers whereby the gas is brought into contact with thesurrounding water seal of the gasometer and condensation takes place insaid exterior annular channel.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

MCDONALD ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

E. E. MORROW, D. H. LEPPE.

